A good story behind a watch always makes its acquisition and ownership that much more satisfying, and while some of Hublot’s are born purely out of commercial opportunity, the King Power Arturo Fuente is a watch born out of an unusual relationship. Hublot takes up the story.
When a cigar manufacturer meets a watchmaking manufacture, when the men at the controls share the same philosophy and form a bond of friendship, the result is known as: King Power “Arturo Fuente”.
The watch is a tribute to the Opus X, the rarest cigar in the world, according to some connoisseurs. A cigar as unique as its history. The story begins in the mid-80s. Carlos Fuente was exploring an area near Santiago in the Dominican Republic, which bore a strange resemblance to the “Pinard del rio” valley, from where the legend of Cuban cigars sprang. He had the idea of growing tobacco plants there: but not just any plants, wrapper tobacco. Yes, wrapper tobacco in Santo Domingo. The whole industry took him for a madman, because the cigar wrapper isn’t just one more component to a cigar — it carries the majority of the cigar’s flavour and nearly all of its aesthetic appeal. Be that as it may, he persisted and he succeeded. In a feat of farming, the tobacco emerging from Château de la Fuente is unique, boasting an exceptional power and wealth of aroma.
And while the vast majority of cigars comprise 5 tobacco leaves (wrapper, binder and 3 more leaves for filler), the Opus X has 9! Why, you might ask? Carlito’s answer is simple: “So that in every puff, you will discover a surprise.” In fact, every module is composed like a book, with its own introduction and chapters. However the Torcedores (the cigar makers) did not go along with this, and refused to make such cigars. Carlito had no hesitation; to make his dream come true, he created a school of Torcedores where he spent 10 months teaching his new recruits his vision of cigars.
In another successful feat, in 1992 the first Opus X emerged from Tabacalera Fuente, making it the first Dominican Puro (cigar deriving all its leaves from the same source). As the ultimate perfectionists, the Fuente family choose to “mature” them for at least 2 years before exporting, for the aromas of the various tobaccos to make a harmonious blend. And now cigar smokers are beating a path to his Tabacalera.
Hublot and Tabacalera Fuente
But what has this got to do with Hublot watches? Well, this cigar is not just innovative for its design and tobacco. Its factory is completely unique, similar in many points to the Hublot watchmaking manufacture: 300 employees work there, as at Hublot, organised in workshops.
The Opus X has a whole dedicated room, just like the complications at Hublot, where the Master Torcedores have their own domain, like the Master Watchmakers: they are both hotbeds of expert hands, know-how and exclusively reserved components. The similarities in organisation are striking. The Hublot and Arturo Fuente boutiques are even neighbours in Las Vegas.
But that is not all. Carlos Fuente Sr and Carlito Fuente have a deep love for their adopted home, the Dominican Republic. This country has many abandoned or orphaned children. Carlito is aware of this scourge, so to help he set up a School and Foundation in the heart of the tobacco plantations, with all the facilities necessary to house the children until they reach maturity. Giving and sharing is another outlook similar to that of Hublot, which never fails to tie in its events and operations with its ambassadors for the benefit of foundations and charity actions worldwide.
King Power “Arturo Fuente”
Watch Box and Cigar Humidor
And so another new King Power is born, The King Power “Arturo Fuente” limited series is delivered in a genuine cigar humidor developed specially by Hublot, a blend between Macassar ebony and carbon. The top contains an exclusive OPUS X ring accompanied by the Hublot logo signature. To mark the presentation of this watch, Arturo Fuente has created a special edition of OPUS X cigars for Hublot, with special rings.
Arturo Fuente caseback
The caseback has an embossed image of Carlos Fuente Jr. and Sr., the Opus X logo. The top contains an exclusive OPUS X ring accompanied by the Hublot logo signature. To mark the presentation of this watch, Arturo Fuente has created a special edition of OPUS X cigars for Hublot, with special rings.
